Cutting vegetation and cleaning up junk is right up the city's alley

View full sizeHuntsville Times file photoLandscape Management Director Joy McKeeHUNTSVILLE, AL - A problem with an alley in her neighborhood has Lu Downey asking who is responsible for the upkeep of alleys in the city.

She said the alley between Kingsbury and Highland avenues is in an older section of town north of Maple Hill Cemetery and east of California Street.

“One side of the alley is being overrun with stuff put out by homeowners,” Downey said. “The alleyway is unsightly. Because of these items, or debris, traffic diverts to the other side of the alley and, in effect, moves the alley. A possible result could be loss of land by the other side of the alley.”

Downey, who attends Christ Episcopal Church, said furniture and lumber have been in the alley across from the church on two recent Sundays. Vehicles have to drive through the church parking lot to avoid the items in the alley, she said.

Maintenance of an alley can fall to different city departments, depending on what the nature of the problem.

“We cut back vegetation,” said Joy McKee, director of the city’s Landscape Management Department. “If people are putting stuff out and junking it up, that would be under sanitation.”

McKee said she would have someone from her department look at the alley.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane during the day and two lanes at night between Cobble Farms Drive and McMullen Lane from Monday through Friday, the Huntsville Engineering Department said in a news release.

The lanes will be closed for workers to cut and fill the new roadway.

Flag men will be directing traffic, and motorists should expect frequent stops and long delays.

The work is expected to take about a month if the weather cooperates, District 4 Commissioner Dale Strong said in a news release.

Motorists are urged to use caution during construction.

Bailey Cove Road repavingKathy Campbell and Ned Audeh both asked by e-mail about the repaving of Bailey Cove Road.

“It was supposed to be resurfaced in (September or October), but absolutely nothing has been done,” Campbell said. “What is the schedule now?”

Audeh said Bailey Cove Road south of Weatherly Road “is awfully disgraceful to have such a road in Huntsville.”

The city will repave Bailey Cove Road between Weatherly and Green Cove roads with money from the federal stimulus package, said Cynthia Higgins, repaving engineer with the city’s Public Works Services Department.